Course Details
Cost: $175.00 | CEUs: 4 ESC (if not taken as part of Certification) | Sign me up!
Building Science for EnergySmart Contractors
This course provides a high level overview of Building Science. It is intended for the General Contractor, Crew Manager, Crew Leader, and Crew Member to provide an understanding of heat flow, air flow and moisture flow through a residential structure. Changes made to a structure intended to improve comfort and energy efficiency are discussed in terms of their potential impact on health, safety, and building durability. Roles in the energy retrofit industry and terminology used in building science, diagnostics and building performance are covered. Anyone involved in or interested in the weatherization of existing home stock will benefit from taking this course.
| Module 1 | Introduction and Course Overview | |
|---|---|---|
| This module defines the course agenda and required materials. It will walk you through the steps required to complete this training. As part of the introduction you will also learn why it is important for contractors to understand building science and what roles are being performed by others in the energy retrofit industry. | ||
| Unit 1 | Roles in the Energy Retrofit Industry | |
| Unit 2 | HERS and the Energy Index | |
| Module 2 | Energy Fundamentals | |
| This module explores what uses and loses energy in a home, the definition of energy, energy transfer, measuring energy and converting between units of energy and power. | ||
| Unit 1 | Residential Energy Use | |
| Unit 2 | What is Energy | |
| Module 3 | Heat, Air and Moisture | |
| In this module you will learn about heat flow, air flow and moisture flow in buildings. The concepts of conduction, convection, radiation, latent and sensible heat, condensation, moisture vapor, relative humidity and building pressure effects will be discussed. The factors that determine indoor comfort will be examined. | ||
| Unit 1 | Heat Transfer | |
| Unit 2 | Air Flow | |
| Unit 3 | Moisture Transport | |
| Module 4 | The Building Envelope | |
| This module explores the concept of the thermal boundary and the air barrier of the home. The components that make up the building envelope are reviewed, and vapor barriers are discussed. | ||
| Unit 1 | Heat Flows Through the Building Shell | |
| Module 5 | Indoor Air Quality and Mechanical Ventilation | |
| Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is critical to the health of the home's occupants. When weatherizing a home, IAQ can be drastically affected and must be considered in the project plan. This module describes indoor pollutants, indoor air quality, and strategies for mechanical ventilation used to maintain good air quality in a home. | ||
| Unit 1 | Introduction to Indoor Air Quality | |
| Unit 2 | Types of Mechanical Ventilation | |
| Unit 3 | Ventilation Requirements | |
| Module 6 | Mechanical Systems | |
| Systems used to heat and cool the air inside a residential structure, the system used to distribute that conditioned air, and determining the efficiency of these systems is covered in this module. Water Heating systems are discussed as well as maintenance factors that affect the efficiency of all types of mechanical systems. | ||
| Unit 1 | HVAC Systems Shop Class | |
| Module 7 | The Economics of Energy Improvement | |
| This module presents a high-level look at the financial analysis that is performed to determine the cost effectiveness of making energy improvements. Improvement ranking, packaging, and the consideration of expense vs. investment are discussed. | ||
| Unit 1 | Energy Mortgages | |
| Unit 2 | Cost Effectiveness and Ranking of Energy Improvements | |
| Module 8 | The Work Scope | |
| A well-written scope of work includes information specific enough that it can be used to bid, perform work, and demonstrate when that work is complete. This module details what a contractor should expect and insist on from the work scope. | ||
| Unit 1 | The Biddable Scope of Work | |
| Module 9 | Putting it All Together | |
| Teamwork, Quality Assurance, and a focus on the health and safety of the clients, the building's durability, and the resulting energy efficiency makes for a successful energy retrofit project. This module covers the test-out, quality assurance, and includes the final test for this course. | ||
| Unit 1 | Quality Assurance Standards | |
| Unit 2 | The Project Test Out | |
| Module 10 | EnergySmart Contractor Test | |
| The final exam for the EnergySmart Contractor course. | ||
| Unit 1 | EnergySmart Contractor Exam | |
